Venice Untour, Spring of 2005
by Gini & Chuck Knueppel, Alpharetta,GA
Prologue
Chuck & I were bitten by the travel bug long before we thought we could afford venturing beyond the boundaries of the USA. But about 45 years ago we dared to venture abroad for the first time; at that point, the bug’s bite hit our deepest selves, and we have never recovered. That’s why we continue to travel, though now we’re beset with the slow-down lowdown burdensome body accoutrements of advancing age.Chuck’s 82 year old arthritic knees and my 78 year old creaky back are traveling companions we would prefer not to take along. But since we’re stuck with them, we’ve adjusted our attitudes and habits as Untourists to enjoy the “Un” part even as we scale down our “Tour.” That’s why this log will not give the reader many hints about sights to see, places to shop, or suggestions for great restaurants. If, however, you care to know about how two physically challenged Americans had a fine time just “being” Venetians for two weeks, read on. . .
Tuesday, March 22
First concession to age - wheelchair assistance. Arranged in advance for both of us, this proved a wise way to navigate the endless airport distances and save our bodies from 45 minute standing at security. Lufthanza folks were, as usual, friendly and helpful. Flight was fine, food was good, and (bonus!) the plane was not full. On to Frankfort, then to Venice.Wednesday, March 23
Denny Jennings met us at Marco Polo airport and escorted us via shuttle bus to a water taxi for the trip from mainland to Venice. A scary moment descending railing-less wooden stairs and down into the boat (this person with a cane depends on railings!) but with the aid of my strong-armed husband and the burly boatman I flopped safely into the very comfortable boat and thoroughly enjoyed the ride across the lagoon into the Grande Canale and on to our vaporetto stop at San Marcuola. Paolo met us, helped with our luggage, and escorted us to our apartment, about 2 blocks away. First impression: Casino apartment is beautifully furnished, cozy and comfortable. More than that, we were too sleep deprived to notice or care about. Took advantage of the food so thoughtfully provided for a simple meal, stayed up as long as we could. Finally went bed at 9 PM...woke up at midnight, 2, and 4...but the bed was so comfortable we still had a good night’s sleep.Thursday, March 24
Breakfast time and our first close encounter with a kitchen of the Italian kind! We’d been warned there would be no American coffee maker, but in spite of the diagram in Idyll’s pink guide I had questions about operating an on-stove espresso maker. It was a very small pot, too. Lighting the gas stove with a match proved challenging. The minute I took my hand off the knob, the flame went out. Finally mastered it, sort of - it proved challenging throughout our stay - but the coffee was made, toast buttered, and stomachs satisfied in good time. [Gave mental longing thoughts to the ignition-lit gas stove and Mr. Coffee in my kitchen at home, but to be fair I must say that the Italian toaster was far more efficient and pleasant to deal with than my temperamental American one!]We remembered to stamp our week-long vaporetto passes and waited at our stop. Discovered that the dock is anchored to land but floats on the canal. When the vaporetto arrives, it hits the dock with a bump, so I learned that balance-challenged folks like me must take care not to stand up before it is tied up, It’s also good to be as close to the head of the line as possible so you have time to get a seat as quickly as possible. Once the last person is aboard that vehicle is moving rapidly almost immediately.
My first - and lasting - impression of Venetians was of their unfailing courtesy to strangers. For our entire stay, every vaporetto we got on was packed, but every time I arrived in the seating area with my cane someone smiled and offered me their seat. I said 'grazie' so much in Venice that I had to relearn 'thank you' when I returned home.
Denny met us at the San Toma stop and we met our fellow Untour-ers: the Kennedys with their delightful granddaughter Sarah, and the Lehmanns, We also had a pleasant reunion with Vivianne, who had been our staff person in Alsace; she and her husband were on the last day of a Venice vacation. Our very convivial bunch enjoyed a walking tour-and-cappuccino orientation morning.
After lunch we returned “home” to Casino, napped until 4:30, then went to a tiny grocery store we’d passed on our way to the vaporetto stop. Bought a few bare essentials there - the little store had an enormous meat counter but few staples except for a world class variety of pasta. A small nearby vegetable store with a large “NO self service” sign yielded some beautiful tomatoes and bananas; we pointed at them and the proprietor bagged them for us. “Don’t touch the fruit and vegetables” is a cardinal rule here!
Vesuvio is a very nice restaurant, right next door, so we indulged our still jet lagged bodies by having supper there.
Friday, March 25
When we woke up this morning a soft rain was falling, so we were in no hurry to be out and about. Toward noon the sun came out and we went in search of a more substantial grocery store. Found Rizzo (left a short way to the main street and turn right) which is not a supermarket, but a really good super delicatessen. In its long narrow interior we found beautiful baked goods, meats, cheeses and a case of ready to heat and eat prepared foods. Bought two prosciutto and cheese sandwiches for lunch.A real bonus was the free Venice map the Rizzo clerk handed me when she heard my feeble attempts at Italian. This map, unlike the others we found in the apartment, was color keyed with easy accessible walks and other places marked in orange - intended for wrinkly tourists like us who are intimidated by steep or unrailinged spots! This map guided us visually to the narrowest canals, which always have the shortest and lowest bridges to climb, and gave us a clue to areas where we were better advised to travel to by vaporetto. Every day I tucked this map and my laminated Streetwise® map into my fanny pack and we didn’t get lost even once. [We highly recommend the Streetwise® map series. Purchased in the US before our trip. Compact in size, laminated for endurance, they save opening and folding the standard paper kind and have a great street locator index.]
The outdoor market had such picturesque beautifully arranged fruits and vegetables the whole scene was like an artist's still life which had been suddenly animated with scores of people. The main street close to our apartment, Ria Terra San Leonardo, is part of a string of wide, flat stoned streets that runs through most of Venice. In the part of the Cannaregio section where we lived it was lined with shops selling everything from wine to jewelry - designer quality to tourist tacky - plus crowds of people equally varied in description. We had opportunities for incredible people watching, day after day.
That afternoon we took the vaporetto to San Zaccaria, just past San Marco, and wended our way through a very narrow calle to Campo Formosa, where we were to meet the group. On the way we discovered a tiny shop where original paintings and prints were displayed. Found a beautiful print of a carnival lady and her gentleman at a great price; promptly purcahsed it as a birthday present for daughter Nancy. Had a lovely conversation with the artist/proprietor as she gift wrapped our treasure.
Found the campo with no difficulty - signage in Venice is excellent and as long as you always remember to look at the arrows directing you to a campo, you need never be lost even though there is a rabbit warren of endless tiny passageways leading to each large square, each of which inevitably contains a large church. This campo had benches (surprisingly rare in this walking city) so we plopped ourselves on one and enjoyed a delightful hour watching children play in front of us and gondolas cruising through the narrow canal at our back. Denny, the Kennedys, and the Lehmanns joined us there.
The Fondazione Querini-Stampalia is a museum which began as a 16th century palazzo and was turned into a library and gallery in 1869. The interior is lavishly decorated in 18th century style and adorned with hundreds of paintings, a few of which are masterpieces. We were there for a parlor concert - an accomplished young man playing selections from J.S. Bach's Well Tempered Clavier on a clavier. Afterward Chuck and I found a spot to sit and admire Bellini's Presentation in the Temple while the others roamed the gallery's collection of Mannerist and Baroque paintings.
Saturday, March 26
The morning was cloudy and cool enough for the passersby to be bundled in padded jackets and woolen scarves. So we layered ourselves and set out toward the Campo SS Apostoli, where we expected to find a Lutheran church to attend Easter services tomorrow. (Must be a tiny congregation sharing a pastor, since a sign on the church indicated that Easter services would be held on Monday at 10:30 AM.)Walking back through the crowded market streets yielded a welcome surprise - Billa, the Venice version of a supermarket - just 3 short bridges away from our apartment. Saturday is of course not an ideal day to be in a store with narrow aisles, but to do so it is essential to put a €1coin in the slot to get a shopping cart . Only with the cart in front can you navigate to the places where you can find orange juice , bread, and ready-to-heat food. In order to get past all the other shoppers you need to say “Permiso” (excuse me) a lot, too. At checkout you either put your groceries in bags you have brought yourself or pay for their plastic ones. Return your cart to get your €1 back, and you’re on your way.
After lunch and a rest, we decided to scout for another protestant church where we could attend an Easter service in English. So we took the vaporetto to the Academia stop and headed a short way to Campo S. Vio. St. George Anglican church considers visitors part of their congregation because resident members number about 12 families. The church was open when we went in and we had a lovely conversation with two smiling Americans who were arranging flowers in the chancel. They live in New York but have an apartment in Venice where they spend as much time as possible. We look forward to returning for Easter services tomorrow.
The vaporetto stop was so jammed with people we weren’t able to board until the 4th boat came. Venice is full of tourists...a large number of them German.
This evening I cooked some of the finds from Billa, seasoned/breaded chicken filets with some salad mix, augmented with rice and the good white wine we found in our refrigerator when we arrived. Really good meal, and significantly less expensive than the pasta and pizza we’ve been having in various restaurants and trattorias. Venice prices are always relatively high because everything must be delivered by boat, but for Americans with devalued dollars, adding 30% to the price of everything is a real bummer. We were very careful about spending on this trip, and cooked in more than we usually do.
Easter Sunday, March 27
The vaporetto was less crowded today, but it moved more slowly than usual because the Grand Canal was full of gondolas. The service at St. George was really fine. The church was full and the music beautiful. The soprano soloist was from the recent opera production at La Fenice and the organist accompaniment was excellent. The building has such high ceilings that the acoustics were fine for music and a little echo-filled for the spoken word. The people were very welcoming and we felt very much at home.When we returned to the apartment, four very pudgy cats were lounging on the street in front. We had already named the large chocolate point Siamese “El Gatto” (“THE cat”) because he was the obvious alpha leader of the group and lead bass in the feline opera choruses we had heard every morning.
Took a picture of El Gatto at his dignified best, then headed across the street and down a little way down the small calle to Bentigodi Ostiria da Francesca where we each had a platter of ciccheti, or cold appetizers of fish, meat, and vegetables. Very savory, some roasted, some deep fried with a very light breading. This was on the “menu economico,” which included both wine and dessert. Learned here that we should always look for the tourist menu when we wanted a complete meal. Sometimes you have to ask to see this, but it’s far less expensive than to order more than one item on a standard, always a la carte, menu.
Monday, March 28
Easter Monday is a holiday, so the vaporetto was jammed with people loaded with luggage and headed to the railroad station. We got off at the next stop (Piazzali Roma) and changed to a #82 in order to go to the southern side of Venice. The entry level of this vaporetto, unlike the #1 that plies the Grand Canal, is not even with the dock, so one must step down. Not as easy for a cane user.The ride was interesting because the canal was lined with modern industrial buildings instead of palazzi, and when we arrived at our stop on the south side we were on the Giudecca Canal, which isn’t like a canal because it overlooks a larger island, farther off. Waves, like the open sea.
Couldn’t find the gelateria or the pizzeria recommended by Denny, perhaps closed because of the holiday. Also, no signs. When owners shut the heavy metal doors in front of their shops all identifying signs are gone. Even shops that are open do not have large signs. We did find a Billa - wider aisles and fewer shoppers than the one near our apartment - and made a few purchases before having a nice lunch at a nearby trattoria. Lovely warm sunny day. Headed home via S. Marco so did our own “circle tour.”
Tuesday, March 29
This was a very quiet day. Decided to do some laundry and easily mastered the good directions given for the one just off the kitchen of our apartment. Spread the clothes out on our patio on the two drying racks and by the end of day they were dry. Having a washing machine was a great convenience, but we didn’t use it as much as the neighbors in the apartment house behind us. . .they had clothes on the line almost every day.I prepared all of our meals today - went out for afternoon gelato, but otherwise we chose not to meander. We enjoyed reading and watched some TV. All 7 stations in Italian only, so as picture watchers only we saw a sampling. News shows feature one commentator at a time standing instead of sitting behind a desk and reading from a paper script instead of a teleprompter. Other talking head shows featured a group of 4-6 people sitting around and talking together, with an occasional news clip on the screen behind them. One channel had a lot of travel shows, most frequently with S. American or African jungle locales. And there were many vintage American movies - it was weird to see John Wayne et al speaking in very rapid Italian! We did a lot of channel surfing; rarely watched any very long, except for occasional viewings of American cartoons. Even though they too were dubbed, it was fun to laugh at very early Disney, Loony Tunes, and Warner B. shows - many from the 30s and 40s. Actions of Roadrunner, Tom & Jerry, Mickey, and Popeye are hilarious, even more so when you can’t understand the dialogue.
Wednesday, March 30 & Thursday, March 31
Wandered about Cannareggio, ate lunch, later in the afternoon went shopping for milk, bread, and vegetables. We’ve been here for a week now and feel like we’re part of the neighborhood. People watching is wonderful, especially during pedestrian rush hours, 11 to 1 PM and 4:30 to 6 PM.Having physical limitations on a Venice vacation presents not only challenges but also some real satisfactions. Our simple routines, for example, are very relaxing. Both of us are benefiting from so many short walks in the fresh air, small but healthy meals, and refreshing sleep. Nighttime with no automobile sounds is very peaceful! We’ve been blessed, too, with wonderful weather. Chilly most mornings but bright and clear, with warming as the day goes by. The heating system in the apartment works well. I particularly appreciate the bathroom radiator, with clothes hooks on the wall above - my flannel robe is cozy in the morning and my nightgown warmed when I’m getting ready for bed - just like having your clothes warmed on an English heated towel bar.
Friday, April 1
This afternoon we decided to take a beginning to end vaporetto ride on the Grand Canal. Went first to Piazzali Roma to ensure getting good beginning of the line window seats and rode all the way to Lido, where we got off and stretched our legs then hopped another one to ride back to our home stop. Chuck took a lot of pictures, which we must take care to caption before we forget which palazzo is which. (Alas, this was a fruitless hope, The sight of these deliciously decorated buildings is more interesting than the names, anyway. Venitian palazzi always make me think of petit fours at a wedding reception, albeit oversized and often crumbling at the edges.)When we returned, our front entranceway was full of picture cards of candidates for the election to be held this coming Sunday (8 AM to 10 PM) and Monday (8 AM to 3 PM). Candidates’ pictures are also mounted on large fiberglass panel and pipe billboards on the streets, including one right in front of our front door. Tables in the intersecting streets are also full of brochures and festooned with bright colored balloons - but NO political speeches or commercials seem to be appearing on TV! (Great idea.)
The pope had a heart attack and it has been announced that he is in a coma, so all stations are showing the same scenes of St. Peter square jammed with people on vigil.
Saturday, April 2
We met Denny and the Lehmanns at Piazzali Roma for an excursion to the mainland. Took the bus headed toward Padua, and rode through the countryside along the river Brenta. In the past, rich Venetians built beautiful villas along this road, Some have been restored and are still very beautiful; others are in various stages of disrepair.As we walked to the restaurant Denny and her husband Luigi own, we saw some men tending what look to be small vegetable plots. Spring is just beginning to appear here, so the trees are tipped with green but the ground is still bare.
Denny took us to a lovely place, very different from either the quiet city or the noisy mainland. The owner of the Villa Brusoni-Scallella has opened her unique 40 acre “garden” for tours. Formerly a traditional 15th century feudal plot, a later owner hired an English landscape man to turn it into a planned woodland. It was wilder than an English manor garden - crammed with 50 species of trees - but it had amusing bits of sculpture poked into nooks that surprised us as we wandered the lovely wide paths. There was a small lake ringed with wild flowers and a meadow, and two “follies.” One was a tiny tile roofed fisherman’s hut, the other a crenellated “ancient” tower which gave a spectacular view of the countryside but also concealed beneath it a “glacier,” or dugout ice house for preserving perishables in the summer. It was delightful to walk on the soft paths of this charming place, breathing fresh country air, and be surrounded by wonderful trees. . .a major contrast to mostly treeless Venice.
After our tour we returned to the restaurant and had the best meal of our stay. We met Luigi, who furnished us with delicacies including pasta in lobster sauce, mixed seafood, salad, and dessert - each accompanied with the appropriate beverage.
Sunday, April 3
Returned to St. George for church this morning. At the reception after the service we talked with an English couple celebrating their 4oth anniversary in Venice and an American woman, a former State Dept. employee who is now an expatriate part of the year and who works with a committee for historical restoration in Venice.Afterwards we strolled on a small fundamente (street beside a canal) that leads to the nearby Guggenheim Museum, stopped at a tiny trattoria for lunch, then headed home.
A note about cleanliness - we have been pleasantly surprised by the spotlessly clean rest rooms and mostly clean (except for some doggie droppings) streets. Every morning men and women with long willow brooms sweep the streets and garbage is collected outside shop and residential doors every weekday morning.
Monday, April 4
Decided to reconfirm our Lufthanza reservations and ran into voice mail - in very rapid Italian - which drove us even nuttsier than it does in the States. Finally had the good sense to contact Denny on her cell phone and the new number she gave us for the airport was successful. A cheerful voice speaking perfect English freed us from our confirmation anxiety and we were free to welcome Becky and Scott, who had asked to see our apartment. Enjoyed a long laughter-filled pizza lunch together at Vesuvio.Tuesday, April 5
This was our last full Untour day in Venice, so we decided to visit the island of Murano via Vaporetto #41 from the train station stop. Since we’ve visited glass manufacturers before, we decided to avoid the crowds on the main shopping thoroughfare and alighted at Museo (#4) instead. At Campo S. Maria Donato we found a beautiful old (12th c.-Byzantine) church from the same era as the much larger San Marco. Its simple, light filled sanctuary was adorned with a brilliant Byzantine mosaic of the Virgin above the altar and some astounding varicolored marble mosaic floors.Outdoors, the campo was very large and contained both a campanile and a garden surrounded war memorial with some very nice marble sculptures. It was very quiet and empty here. We passed a glass shop and went in to find some additional birthday gifts. The very pleasant daughter of the owner helped with our purchases, and we loved looking at all the very untouristy glass art pieces.
The weather was warm and sunny so we chose to eat in the garden of the Antica Trattoria, which proved to be an excellent choice.
That evening had a “last meal at camp” assorted leftovers supper, then spent some time packing. Sleep time that night included some worrisome dream scenarios of descending rail-less stairs and falling on my face into a water taxi.
Wednesday, April 6
When we got up on this final day, we heard a loud banging of pipes outside our apartment door. Workmen were dismantling the pipes and panels of the billboards that had held candidates’ posters.Soon Henrique arrived to help us with our luggage and we took one last walk to S. Marcuola to meet the water taxi. My bad dreams were wrong. We walked out on a flat pier, stepped down into the boat with no trouble and were swiftly conveyed to the Piazzali Roma to get a taxi to the mainland. Henrique helped us all the way to the taxi and we had an uneventful trip to our hotel.
Normally, the water taxi would have taken us directly to the airport, but because the best flight arrangement we could make was on early Thursday morning, we booked rooms at the Fly Hotel , which is about 10 minutes from the airport. This is a very plain small 3-star commercial hotel, but a bargain at less than half the room rate of the nearby Ramada. We had an excellent noon meal (risotto with shrimp and baby asparagus!) at the main restaurant and good sandwiches in the bar as our evening meal. Clean, comfortable, and certainly adequate for our one day/night stay.
Thursday, April 7
Farewell to Italy and to another great adventure with Untour!Arrivederci!